The Reluctant Bride
by MoonlightFlame
Summary: Claudia never thought her brother and sister would agree to an arranged marriage. She also never thought her best GAY friend would ask her to marry him to help her. What should she do when she actually starts to fall for Jinxy? On Hiatus.


**So I found this half finished when I was going through my documents**

**and I figured what the hell might as well see if I can finish it. **

**Hell i dont even remember writing it but I think it looks good.**

**Let me know what you think. I love you all.**

"No Way!" The sound of shouting and slamming doors rang out through the B and B alerting everyone inside that the young, hot headed warehouse agent was upset. Steve stopped talking with Artie and glanced towards the stairs in the hall where all the noise was coming from. Myka and Pete even stuck their heads out of the kitchen, Pete with his mouth stuffed with food. The sound of stomping echoed down the stairs as the young agent made her way angrily down, her phone pressed to her ear. Her short cropped red hair barely brushed against her shoulders and Steve noticed she had a new blue highlight mixed in with the fiery locks. Even from a distance he could see the fire in her dark brown eyes.

"There is no way in hell I would even consider something like that," she spat into the phone making her way through the B and B lobby, ignoring everyone and heading for the kitchen where her angry voice continued to echo back at the confused and curious onlookers.

"I don't give a damn what you and Claire decided Joshua! This is my life. You don't get to choose how I live it." There was a pause from her angry shouts and then a crash resounded throughout the kitchen making everyone but Steve jump. "Did you guys forget who saved you both? Me! I lived my life for 15 years without you Joshua! And Claire hasn't been in my life for 18 years. You guys can't just barge into my life and decide something like this! I don't care!"

Steve stood and made his way cautiously towards the kitchen where he found Claudia standing over a tub of chocolate chip mint ice cream, a large spoon held partially towards her mouth. He stepped hesitantly towards the upset girl. Her eyes shot of in rage when she noticed the movement but at the sight of him the anger quickly left her face to be replaced with pain.

"I'm done talking about this," she said into the phone with a heavy sigh. "I won't agree no matter what you two say." With that she pulled the phone away and ended the call. For a moment she was silent, staring into the tub of ice cream. She lifted the spoon to her mouth and swallowed the ice cream in one gulp before dropping the spoon to the counter. Another few minutes passed before she met Steve's gaze. Sometimes she hated the way he looked at her. He always seemed to be able to make her talk even when she didn't want to. This time was no different.

"Claud, what's up," he asked after a second. His gaze was locked with her's and nothing she did would let her pull away and she knew she couldn't lie to him, him being a human lie detector and all. So she let out a huge sigh and gathered her courage to tell him.

"I'm engaged," she grumbled.

"WHAT?!" Steve looked shocked but it wasn't him who had called out at Claudia's revelation. She looked away from Steve towards the kitchen door where Myka, Pete, and Artie all stood looking stunned.

"You're what," Myka asked in surprise making her way fully into the kitchen. "Why didn't you say anything."

"Because it's not my choice," Claudia glowered. "My stupid siblings decided this all on their own."

"Wait," Pete said stepping up behind Myka. "Doesn't that mean you're not actually engaged?"

"Yeah Pete's right Claudia," Artie chimed in. "If this guy didn't propose and you didn't agree then you can't be engaged."  
Claudia glanced over at Steve who had yet to say anything and heaved a sigh. "I wish that's how it worked."

"It is Claudia," Pete insisted.

"For you maybe but not for Joshua and Claire. Our family is a little different than most."

"You mean besides being completely surrounded by artifacts all the time," Myka joked.

"Yeah besides that. Apparently, before our parents died, they promised me to the son of some foreign dignitary or something. Josh and Claire are trying to uphold our families end of the deal but I can't go through with this."

"There has to be something you can do," Artie insisted. "You can't just marry someone you don't know. I won't allow it."

"If I don't then it will be bad for my brother and sister. This guy is politically powerful and could cause some real damage to them if I don't agree."

"So there's nothing we could do," Myka asked disheartened.

Claudia hesitated for a moment. There really wasn't any way out of this except for one but there was no way it would work. There was no use giving false hope even to herself so she shook her head.

"Despite the fact I may not want to there isn't any way out of the marriage."

"Claudia I need to talk to you for a second." Claudia turned to Steve who hadn't said a word the entire time. He reached out grabbing hold of her and pulled her from the kitchen heading for the foyer. He passed through and made his way to the stairs and didn't stop until they stood alone in his room. He turned on her.

"You lied just now," he said once the door was closed. Claudia was taken aback at his comment. Lied? How could she have lied? She had just finished screaming at her brother for wanting her to go through with the engagement.

"What are you talking about? I really am engaged-"

"Not that part," he cut her off. "The part about there being no way to get out of the engagement."

When the confusion cleared Claudia sighed in frustration. "It wasn't a lie. Not to me at least.. There is technically one way that would allow me to be released from the engagement without it hurting Claire or Joshua but it's impossible which is why there's no way."

"What's this impossible way?"

"What?"

"How can I get you out of this," Steve asked. "There's no way in hell I'm going to stand by and watch while you're forced into a marriage you don't want."

"Steve…"

"Claud come on," he insisted. "What is it?"

"Don't-"

"Tell me."

"I can't."

"Just tell me."

"It won't work."

"Claudia!"

"Fine! The only possible way for me to get out of the marriage with this guy is if someone fights for my hand against him!" There was a long stretch of silence. And then-

"You mean someone else has to fight to marry you?"

"Yes," Claudia sighed. "That's why it'll never work. No one else will marry me. Let alone fight some foreign guy for my hand."

"Claud-" Steve started.

"Save it Jinxy. I just have to get used to the idea. It's not so much getting married that's the problem but that I'll be forced to leave the warehouse and all of you, not to mention Joshua and Claire. And after i just got you and them back to." Claudia let out a sob and quickly turned away to hide the tears that threatened to fall. She could handle being forced into a marriage.. But losing everyone? Especially Steve? She wasn't sure she could handle that.

"I'll do it." Claudia's head whipped up and her eyes widened as she stared at her partner and best friend. Her "_**GAY" **_best friend.

"What," she asked not sure she fully understood.

"If it'll keep you here and from marrying some guy you don't know then I'll fight him for your hand in marriage."

"Steve, I don't think you get it. If you fight with this guy for my hand, you _have _to marry me."

Steve stepped forward, taking Claudia's hands in his. His thumb's brushed over them as they looked at each other and Steve gave her a soft smile.

"Then I guess we'll be getting married. Claudia, I'm not going to let you be forced into a marriage you don't want."

"You're serious… You'd really do this for me?"

He pulled her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her in a hug. "Of course. I'd do anything so you could be happy. You're my best friend. You brought me back from the dead and risked your life for me over and over again. This is the least I can do."

"But you're gay," Claudia defended weakly. It was becoming hard to argue with him. She hugged him back tightly as she tried to hold back the tears of relief and gratefulness. "I promise after this is all resolved and the dignitary has gone back home we can file for a divorce and things can go back to like they were before all this."

"If that's what you want."

Claudia glanced up at Steve's face just in time to see his furrowed brow before he softened his face and plastered a smile on his face.

Claudia glanced at the clock in the sitting room of the BandB, her body tense with dread. She felt a hand on her shoulder and glanced up to see Myka smiling reassuringly at her. She released the breath she'd been holding ever since the clock struck three. It had been a week since the distressing phone call from Joshua about the arranged engagement and Claudia was a nervous wreck. After Steve had vowed to keep her from marrying him by fighting for her hand she had called her brother back the next day and agreed to meet the suitor on the condition that they all met at the B and B. Joshua had texted when their plane landed and said they would be there by 3:30. It was already 3:27 and Claudia was on edge. Artie and Pete were down at the warehouse finishing up inventory and cataloging an artifact that Myka and Pete had retrieved yesterday in Florida, Benjamin Franklin's Key, which had created a storm so huge raining bolts of lightning down on the innocent town. Steve was in the next room talking to Mrs. Frederic on the farnsworth about the artifact and letting her know that Pete and Myka had neutralized it.

Suddenly there was a sharp knocking on the front door and Claudia shot to her feet her hands clenched into fists at her side. She wasn't ready for this. She regretted agreeing to this meeting at all.

"It'll be fine," Myka assured her. "Go into the other room with Steve and I'll go greet them. Don't worry, we won't let him take you away from us." As she walked away Claudia did as she had said and headed for Steve. They hadn't told Myka and the others what Steve was planning on doing. Claudia had made him promise not to say anything about it until it became absolutely clear that the sutor wouldn't give her up. She heard the door open right as she found Steve. He spotted her and ended the call assuring Mrs. Frederic that they would keep a close eye out for new artifacts.

"Are they here?"

Claudia nodded. The sound of voices drifted from the entryway making her tense up again. Steve's face softened and he patted her head in a comforting gesture.

"Don't worry Clauds. Everything will be okay. I'm not going to let him take you."

Suddenly a loud voice, heavy with a german accent echoed through the rooms. "Making me come all the way out here to this god forsaken place. Where the blast is my bride I was promised?"

Claudia unconsciously folded into Steve, but he put a soothing hand on her back and lead her out into the foyer. Four people stood around. Claudia spotted Myka standing near Joshua and Claire by the entrance. Standing in the middle of the room however, away from the others was who Claudia assumed was the foreign dignitary who had come to claim her hand. He was about the same height as Steve with a round belly and dressed in overly expensive clothes. His hair was black and cut short around his ears, he had foggy blue eyes that seemed to judge everything he looked at. Claudia found him incredibly creepy. He had to be about 35 which would make him 13 years older than Claudia's 22 year old self. The man's eyes landed on Claudia and the look he gave her made her want to disappear.

"Awe," he said in a voice that was probably meant to sound sexy but just sent a wave of ice through her veins. "You must be the woman I was promised. I am Eduard vom Rath, German ambassador." He reached for her hand snatching it up before she could pull away and bringing it to his lips leaving a very wet and nasty kiss on her hand. Suddenly there was a hand on her wrist and she turned to see a very annoyed looking Steve glaring at the ambassador. He pulled her arm tugging her hand out of Eduard's grasp and made it very obvious as he used his shirt sleeve to wipe off the top of Claudia's hand.

The two glared at each other for a long moment as the tension in the room grew. Claudia heard the sound of the door open but didn't turn to see who it was guessing that Artie and Pete were probably back.

"What do you think you're doing touching my fiance like that," Eduard spat at Steve.

"She hasn't agreed to marry you so she's not your fiance," Steve almost growled.

"Claudia." The sound of her sister speaking up had them all turning to see what she had to say. Claudia forced back the grimace at the look on Claire's face. "You know you have to agree to this you can't get out of it. It's what mother and father wanted."

"Claire easy," Joshua said to the eldest girl. He met Claudia's gaze and sighed. "I'm sorry Claudes. We both are, but you know there's no way out of this."

Claudia felt the tears forming but forced them back. She wouldn't concede yet. She felt Steve at her back. He was silently letting her know that he was ready to tell them. It had become clear that it was the only way.

"There is one way," Claudia said meeting the eyes of both of her siblings before taking a deep breath and turning back to Eduard. "When my parents promised me to you before they died they made a single acception to your agreement. If I was to find someone who wanted to marry me and was willing to fight for my hand then the agreement would become void and you wouldn't be able to touch me or my family."

Steve took his place beside Claudia, grabbing her hand in his and encasing it in his warmth. "I will be challenging you to the right to marry Ms. Donovan," he said in a strong and confident voice.

Eduard looked between the two and then towards the others in the room who all wore the same shocked expressions on their faces. He turned back to glare at Steve and Claudia.

"What the hell is this?!"

"Exactly what I said," Steve said. "I will be fighting you for Claudia's hand."

Eduard seemed like he might explode, but then he suddenly grinned. "If that's the case then you have to follow the agreement to the 'T'. If you want to be the one to marry her so badly then you'll have to prove that you're both actually in love because the agreement was if she finds someone who wants to marry her for love then the agreement would be void."

"How do you expect us to do that," Claudia asked.

"Well I'm not due to head home for another week. Within that time you have to prove to me that you are actually in love and get married or else I will be taking you back to Germany with me. And don't forget. If you refuse, I'll destroy your brother and sister and maybe even your friends here too."

Without another word, he turned, pushing past Artie and Pete and walked out the door leaving the room in stunned silence.

**Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think.**


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